They filed into the apartment mentioned, a long, low room, the walls of
which were lined with shelves filled with musty volumes. Dave kept his
eyes on Jasniff, and this the runaway noticed.

"Think I'm going to skip?" he queried, sourly.

"I'll not give you the chance," was the ready answer.

"You think you've got me foul, don't you?"

"Doesn't it look like it?"

"You can't make me go back to the United States."

"Perhaps I can."

"My folks have settled up that Pud Frodel affair for me--did it only a
few days ago."

"But they didn't settle up with Mrs. Clever. She was swindled out of
some board money."

"I--er--I was going to send her that money to-day."

"Then you had better pay me, for I settled the account," answered Dave.
"But let us drop this talk for the present, Jasniff. I want you to tell
me all you know about my father and my sister."

"Humph! I haven't got to tell you anything if I don't want to."

"Yes, you have got to!" cried Dave. A dangerous gleam came into his
eyes. "Out with it at once. Where is my father?"

"See here, Porter, I don't propose to be bullied. I----"

"You answer my question, Nick Jasniff. If you don't I'll call in an
officer at once and have you placed under arrest."

"You can't do it."

"I can and will. If I can't have you held on one charge I'll have you
held on another. I want the truth from you, and I want it right away."

Dave had followed Nick Jasniff to a window, and faced the runaway with
such sternness and determination that the latter cowed before him.

"I--er--that is, your father went north, last week."

"Where to?"

"He said he was going to Christiania, Norway."

"Christiania, Norway?" repeated Dave. He knew there was such a place,
but that was all. "What for?"

"Oh, he was interested in an expedition that was going to the upper
interior--some kind of a scientific expedition, I think. He was full of
it--said they hoped to make all kinds of discoveries."

"Whose expedition was it?"

"It was gotten up by two men named Lapham and Hausermann."

"I read about that expedition!" cried Roger. "There was an account of it
in this morning's _Times_."

"When was it to start?" asked Dave, anxiously.

"I don't know."

"Do you know, Jasniff?"

"Not exactly--some time this week, I think."

"Was my sister Laura going with my father?" went on Dave, anxiously.

"No."

"Where is she?"

"I give it up."

"Jasniff, tell me the truth!" And again Dave looke